Red Wine Pot Roast Recipe

Red wine pot roast is a one-pot meal that is very easy to make but tastes incredible! The beef is so tender after being braised for several hours; that it melts in your mouth. The red wine sauce is tangy and a little bit sweet with a nice kick to it. It makes enough to serve at a dinner party, holiday celebration, or to feed a big family. All you have to do is toss the ingredients into a pot and let the oven do all the work while you relax.

Pot roasts have been around forever. I think it was the first meal I ever made for a dinner party I had years ago for my husband’s boss. It turned out perfectly so I decided right then that I would keep that recipe and serve it for special occasions. However, since it is so easy to make, there is no reason not to serve it more often.

This is a hearty meal that is also a comfort food and since you cook it all in one pot (a Dutch Oven), you won’t end up with a bunch of dishes to wash. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, invest in one, so you can use it for browning, sautéing, and baking the meat.

The result is a savory, tender, and juicy roast with thick delicious gravy and some perfectly cooked carrots on the side. You can also add more veggies to make it a heartier meal. Also, the herbs add such warm and earthy flavors, and the meat itself is so tender you barely have to pull it apart with a fork. If you are looking for a melt-in-your-mouth pot roast recipe, then you have a winner here.

I like to pile mine on top of perfectly creamy mashed potatoes which are just the right blend of butter, cream, and fluffy light potatoes. You don’t have to worry about serving this to the kids because the alcohol cooks away during the cooking process. Aside from being easy enough for busy weeknights, it’s also an elegant dish to serve for special occasions.

As you can tell, I like to make my life and your life easier, by making and sharing hearty meals that don’t require a lot of time and effort. I enjoy doing other things while it’s the meal it’s cooking itself, such as preparing the sides or relaxing before dinner. If that sounds good to you, add these easy recipes to your dinner menu Lamb Stew, Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin, and Swiss Steak!

What you’ll need to make red wine pot roast:

Kitchen items:

• A Dutch oven – This is best for this recipe because you can use it on the stove to sear the meat and sauté the veggies and use the same pot for the oven. I love one-pot meals! 
• Silicone tongs – For turning and moving the roast without scratching the pot.
• A wooden spoon – To scrape the bottom of the pot without leaving scratches.

The ingredients:

• Beef roast – You need a cut that can stand up to several hours in the oven. I use a chuck roast because it does not turn to mush if you cook it for a long time.
• Yellow onions – You need two. One is diced and the other is quartered.
• Garlic cloves – You need eight. Four are minced and four are whole.
• Carrots – Peeled and chopped into 2-inch chunks.
• Canola oil – To sear the beef. 
• Beef broth – Adds delicious flavor when braising.
• Tomato paste – The thick sweet paste is perfect for adding tangy tomatoey flavor.
• Worcestershire sauce – Another tangy taste, Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies, vinegar, molasses, sugar, garlic, onion, and tamarind for a complex taste.
• Red wine – Use whatever wine you like to drink. If you don’t drink wine, you can try cabernet, merlot, or Bordeaux.
• Fresh rosemary – Chopped and fresh, you get a woodsy peppery flavor with hints of marjoram, thyme, mint, and lemon.
• Fresh thyme – This adds a sweet and slightly peppery taste with a complex flavor profile.
• Dried oregano – Often found in Italian dishes, oregano is an aromatic herb that adds earthy, sweet, and slightly bitter notes.
• Italian seasoning – In addition to the other spices, Italian seasoning also adds basil, red pepper flakes, and marjoram. You could also try my easy homemade Italian seasoning.
• Bay leaves – The subtle minty, pine and peppery flavor also has notes of clove, vanilla, cinnamon, and eucalyptus.
• Salt – Kosher salt for the least additives and best flavor. 
• Ground black pepper – Freshly ground pepper gives it an incredible flavor.

How to make Red Wine Pot Roast?

1. Brown the chuck. Heat oil in the Dutch oven, then sear the chuck on all sides. It should be a deep, nickel brown for the most flavor. Set it aside.
2. Make the braising liquid. Next, sauté your aromatics, then the herbs. Follow this with the tomato paste and sauté for a minute more. Return the browned chuck along with the broth and wine. Then, add the bay leaves, onion quarters, whole cloves of garlic, large chunks of carrot, and fresh sprigs of rosemary.
3. Braise. Cover the Dutch oven and let the beef cook in a pre-heated 325F oven for about 3-4 hrs., or until tender.
4. Serve. Shred or slice, and enjoy with your desired sides.

Expert tip

How to avoid a dry pot roast:

The first thing is to get the right cut of meat. You want to get a chuck roast for the best flavor and texture because it has an even amount of muscle and fat. A brisket would also work but you may need to cook it a little longer at a lower temperature like for four to five hours at 300 degrees F.

Second, be sure to sear the meat well before cooking it. It should be browned on all sides for three to four minutes to keep the juices in. Another thing is to make sure you have enough liquid for the size of the pot roast. I use a four to five-pound chuck roast with two cups of broth and two cups of wine.

The best wine to use for pot roast:

Speaking of wine, you also need to choose the right kind of wine. This is a personal choice. When choosing a wine for this recipe, you should pick the kind that you enjoy the taste of. Even if you are not a wine drinker, you should always taste the wine you are cooking with before you use it. Otherwise, you may end up not liking the taste of the roast at all. I like dry red wine like cabernet sauvignon or slightly sweet merlot.

Recipe variations and substitution:

• Different meat: Instead of beef, try this recipe with pork roast, or other parts of beef like bottom round and brisket will also work for this recipe.
• More veggies: Make this a heartier meal. Add halved potatoes, celery, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and turnips as well as bell peppers and red onion.
• Spicy roast: Chop up some jalapenos and add some cayenne pepper to make this a spicy beef roast.
• Make it in the slow cooker: Don’t have a Dutch oven? Follow this slow cooker version instead!
• Make it in the Instant Pot: If you’re in a hurry, use this Instant Pot Red Wine Beef Roast recipe instead. It only takes about one hour, but you still get those amazing, complex flavors.

Serving suggestions:

• With all the delicious gravy, you can serve some kind of homemade bread to sop it up with.
• Try this with a crunchy cucumber salad on the side or this chopped Mexican salad.
• Other side dishes would also be great including my sweet and creamy creamed corn recipe.
• Any kind of vegetable could also be a part of this meal. Steamed or roasted asparagus, broccoli, oven-roasted sweet potatoes, or cauliflower.
• As an after-dinner drink, try serving the adults a sweet pineapple mojito and the kids can have a mango lemonade.
• When cooking this for a special occasion, also serve a special dessert, like this strawberry poke cake. 

Frequently asked questions

What cut of meat is best for red wine pot roast?

You need a cut with an even balance of muscle and fat for a juicy pot roast that you can eat even without gravy. I like the chuck roast for this recipe because it has enough muscle to stay together even when it is cooked in liquid for a long time. You may see it called a blade roast or chuck eye roast. Another one that would work is the beef brisket because it has a nice ratio of fat to muscle, but the extra fat gives it more flavor.

What is braising?

In this recipe, you are braising the roast. This is a cooking method for meat where you put it in a sealed pot with liquid and cook it for a long time at a low temperature. The meat is usually seared before braising to seal in the juices. It is a combination of steaming and roasting, so you get the best of both methods.

How long does it take for a pot roast to get tender?

This depends on the size and cut of the meat and what temperature you are cooking it at. For example, with a four-pound roast cooked in the oven at 325 degrees F, it will take about three to four hours. The middle of the roast should read 145 to 150 degrees F with a meat thermometer.

Does pot roast get more tender the longer it cooks?

Yes, the longer it cooks, the more tender it gets. Unless it gets overcooked, there is a fine line between a tender moist roast to a dry one. You may cook a roast for several hours in the oven at a low temperature to make it tender but if you leave it for four hours or cook it at a higher temperature, the meat will get dried out and tough.

Why is my pot roast tough?

As I stated above, your pot roast can go from tender and juicy to tough and dry in less than 30 minutes or with a difference of 25 degrees. So, overcooking will dry out the meat no matter how much liquid you add to it because the juices on the inside are disappearing. Another issue may be that it is undercooked. If the collagen does not have enough time to break down, it will be tough.

What is the difference between a roast and a pot roast?

A roast is a cut of meat, and a pot roast is a cooking method. A roast is typically made from a more expensive cut at the rear end of the cow. These would be rib eye, rump, and sirloin. A pot roast is usually a less expensive cut of meat that has to be cooked low and slow. The chuck or brisket meat is what you need for a tender roast that does not turn mushy.

How to store:

• Refrigerate: Let the roast cool completely before refrigerating it. Wrap it in plastic or foil and put it in a sealed container to eat within four days. 
• Freezing: Put the meat in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and it will last for three months.   
• Defrost: Thaw out your frozen roast in the fridge overnight before serving.
• Reheating: Wrap in foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or in the microwave for one minute. Add leftover juice to it when reheating so it does not get dry. If you do not have any juice left, just use broth or wine.

Easy Slow Cooker recipes:

Recipe tips:

• Let the roast rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
• Do not skip the searing step. That is how to keep the juices inside the meat where they belong.
• Also, keep the pot covered while cooking to keep the moisture inside.
• When you slice it, make sure you slice it against the grain. This breaks the line of collagen, so it is tender.
• Cut the carrots and onions into big pieces so they do not disintegrate while braising.
• If you do not like wine, try using red wine vinegar instead.